Monique Acevedo, state prison inmate K08404, has been moved to the Broward Correctional Institution, just west of the Florida Turnpike in Fort Lauderdale.

She was transferred from the Monroe County Detention Center on Stock Island Wednesday and by the afternoon was in the process of registering and settling in, according to Florida Department of Corrections spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger.

"She is at Broward, and is a new commitment as of Sept. 9, 2010," Plessinger said.

Monroe County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Becky Herrin would not give details of Acevedo's move because the state requires a press blackout when inmates are moved from one institution to another, she said.

Acevedo was to be provided a prison haircut, clothes, shoes, toothpaste, shaving razor, soap, toilet paper, hygiene products and bedding, Plessinger said. She will have to use her own money for extras such as soda, snack foods or other items sold at the prison canteen.

Until she becomes a permanent resident of the facility or is moved to another of four state prisons that house female inmates, Acevedo will learn about her inmate rights, how to file complaints or join programs and self-help groups.

Much of the reception process includes learning the dos and don'ts of prison life, Plessinger said.

"Most inmates, when they first come in the system, are a little nervous and don't know what to expect," she said. "It's a regimented system, not at all personal; inmates are referred to by number."

Acevedo is part of a group of some 70 inmates in an open dorm with single and bunk beds. A day room nearby has a television for free time. The corrections officer on duty in the dorm decides what inmates watch to avoid arguments over channels.

"There's an etiquette in jail, so inmates learn all the rules they have to follow, and inmates have a lot of rules to follow -- rules to protect themselves and other inmates," Plessinger said.

Female inmates wear blue pants and a blue top, but also are issued long blue dresses to wear if they choose. All inmates must wear an ID card and are counted at least every four hours, Plessinger said.

The day begins with a 5:30 a.m. wake-up call, followed by showers and morning routines. Breakfast is at 6 a.m., lunch at noon and dinner at 5 p.m. Between meals, Acevedo and other new inmates will attend intake activities for weeks.

During the day, the women move in a group to different appointments, as psychologists and physicians assess their education level and physical and mental health. In the evening, the group gets free time in the recreation yard, when not attending assessments.

Though Acevedo's crimes are nonviolent -- six felony counts of theft and fraud that got her sentenced to eight years -- she is in a group that includes violent offenders.

"There are just too many inmates to separate them right away," Plessinger said. "Corrections officers will watch inmate behavior, and that determines if they get into special housing away from general population."

Inmates can request segregated housing, but they lose mobility and access to more than a dozen programs available to the general population, including adult basic education, GED courses, volunteer literacy, commercial art technology, fashion design and production, meditation and a theater group.

After assessment and orientation, inmates are given jobs in which they can earn time off their sentence instead of money. As all state prisoners, Acevedo must serve 85 percent of her sentence, even with work and/or good behavior, the corrections spokeswoman said.

"She will be assigned a job," Plessinger said. "If it's in the area she lives, she could clean hallways, dump trash, collect and distribute laundry, and other housekeeping chores."

If there are too many inmates to fill eight-hour shifts, they work half-days so others can have jobs, too, she said. The prison has a 753-inmate capacity, but the population on Wednesday was not immediately available.

Acevedo pleaded guilty to stealing $413,000 from Monroe County schools when she was the Adult Education coordinator. Her husband, Randy Acevedo, lost his job as schools superintendent after being convicted of trying to cover up her crimes. He is appealing.

jguerra@keysnews.com